Medieval Murals

 

These are from my 2018 road trip (I will go back to my Dunham Massey and Chirk photos in a day or so) and are from the Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg in Alsace which was the region I visited after Annecy. I have recently shared some photos of this castle take during a visit last year but on that visit I didn't get to take many internal views.

This magnificent castle sits high on a hilltop with panoramic views across the Rhine valley with vineyards all around and Germany on the horizon. It has seen conflict many times in its history and the castle as it stands today is the result of significant investment and skilful restoration.

One of the features that impressed me was the ornate artwork on the walls where, as in the first image you can see even the vaulted ceiling is decorated. The interior shots of the banqueting hall are quite stunning with the highly decorated ceiling and walls as well as the heraldry and impressive chandeliers. As a place where honoured friends and guests would be entertained it makes sense that no expense has been spared on the decoration however the murals on the covered walkway above the inner courtyard is even more showy and perhaps an even bolder statement of wealth. 

View from the Lake

 So today's images were taken on Lac d'Annecy. We took a boat cruise along the length of the lake from a jetty on the edge of the town.

As you can see it was dull and overcast and it was very windy but that made for  quite a dramatic image, especially with the Chateau de Duingt in the foreground. This is a private residence but I believe there are tea rooms there and the venue is used for concerts and weddings.

The peninsula which houses the Chateau was once an island and has been occupied for 1000 years and was the site of a medieval fortress known as Chateauvieux. If you visit https://chateaudeduingt.fr you will discovery more of the history of the place as well as find some beautiful photos captured when the weather conditions were more favourable.

The third image was one of just a handful of wildlife pictures I took on the road trip and is of a Red Crested Pochard. It is probably quite easy to tell how it got its descriptive name.

A Fairytale Castle

I have memories of visiting this magnificent chateau at Pierrefonds from my first visit to France as an 8 year old when I stayed with my penfriend and his family.

It really is a wonderful place and a great setting for a wedding party.

It is also one of the locations used in filming the TV series Merlin

Fit For A King...

I have shared pictures of the Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte before, it is really a majestic building and it is worth sharing a couple more images which I hope you like.

In Focus

This piece of wrought ironwork was in a door in the Chateau de Haut Koenigsbourg and I almost missed it walking past but I am so glad I spotted it because I think it makes a wonderful image. I experimented with a few different settings to focus of the ironwork and also on the stonework in the background of all the shots I took this I think is the best.

I like the lighting and shadows and I like the patterns in the lattice itself.

Fabulous Fountains

One of the things that Versailles is famous for is the array of fabulous fountains and so for today's offering I have chosen a few shots of some of the fountains in action. They are not turned on all the time so it was a case of being in the right place at the right time to get these shots. That's often the way it goes with photography and many opportunities can be missed if our timing is off...